Nebulizer

• US 10,029,053 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2013
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stamford Devices Limited
• Original Assignee: Stamford Devices Limited
• Inventors: Casey, Michael, Grehan, Joseph, Hyland, Kieran, Power, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon, Annette
• Application Number:
  US13/870,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20130291859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 12820016, 12820312
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/00 Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes in general B05B; aerosol containers B65D83/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/005 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/587 Lighting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/70 with testing or calibration facilities
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/00 Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0646 Vibrating plates, i.e. plates being directly subjected to the vibrations, e.g. having a piezoelectric transducer attached thereto

Abstract

A nebulizer comprises a controller linked at its output to a nebulizer head, and at its input to a USB cable and USB plug for connection to a host system. The link between the USB plug and the controller is a USB cable with power and data channels. The controller comprises a boost circuit, a microcontroller 11, and a drive circuit. The latter provides power and control signals via a cable and proprietary plug to the nebulizer head. These signals provide power and control for a vibrating membrane receiving a liquid to be aerosolized. The controller has a housing with LED status lamps, and an ON/OFF button. The controller can be controlled via a host, either locally or remotely.

Claims

1. A nebulizer comprising a nebulizer head for generating an aerosol, a controller for delivering power and control signals to the head, and a standard universal bus for delivering power and control signals to the controller,

wherein the standard universal bus comprises a universal plug and a universal cable extending from said universal plug to the controller,

wherein the controller is linked by a head cable and a head plug to the head;

wherein the controller comprises a voltage boost circuit linked at its input with the universal bus, a processor, and a drive circuit for delivering power to the nebulizer head under control of the processor according to said power and control signals delivered to the controller via the standard universal bus;

wherein the controller is configured to receive one or more of the following signals from a host via the universal bus and to use the one or more signals to generate nebulizer head drive signals;

a nebulization start/stop signal,

a nebulization time signal,

a nebulization flow rate signal,

a nebulization pulse rate signal, and

an inspiratory/expiratory signal to enable phased nebulization; and

wherein the processor is configured to upload to the host via the universal bus the following nebulizer characteristic information previously captured from the nebulizer head;

a wet/dry state of the nebulizer head,

a nebulizer disconnect status,

a cable disconnect status,

an error or fault status, and

a nebulization duration and time of nebulization.

2. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the universal bus is a USB bus, and wherein a total power requirement of the controller and of the nebulizer head falls within a power specification of USB protocol.

3. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the universal bus is a USB bus, and wherein a total power requirement of the controller and of the nebulizer head falls within a power specification of USB protocol;

and wherein the controller provides to the nebulizer head no more than 500 mA at nominal 5V.

4. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive circuit is adapted to generate a waveform having a frequency range between 120 kHz and 150 kHz.

5. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the boost circuit is adapted to generate a voltage supply for the processor and the drive circuit.

6. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the boost circuit is adapted to generate a voltage supply for the processor and the drive circuit;

and wherein a voltage level of the voltage supply is 12V.

7. A nebulizer system comprising:

a nebulizer comprising;

a nebulizer head for generating an aerosol, a controller for delivering power and control signals to the head, a processor of the controller, and a bus for delivering power and control signals to the controller,

wherein the bus comprises a bus plug and a bus cable extending from said bus plug to the controller,

wherein the controller is linked by a head cable and a head plug to the head; and

a host system adapted to provide control signals to the controller via said bus,

wherein the controller has a longitudinal length extending between a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the head cable, controller, and bus cable form an in-line arrangement, wherein the head cable extends from the first end towards the head plug, and wherein the bus cable extends from the second end towards the bus plug, wherein the head plug is proprietary to the head and the bus plug is a standard universal bus plug;

wherein the controller is configured to receive one or more of the following signals from the host system via the universal bus and to use the one or more signals to generate nebulizer head drive signals;

a nebulization start/stop signal,

a nebulization time signal,

a nebulization flow rate signal,

a nebulization pulse rate signal, and

an inspiratory/expiratory signal to enable phased nebulization; and

wherein the processor is configured to upload to the host system via the universal bus the following nebulizer characteristic information previously captured from the nebulizer head;

a wet/dry state of the nebulizer head,

a nebulizer disconnect status,

a cable disconnect status,

an error or fault status, and

a nebulization duration and time of nebulization.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the host system is adapted to provide the control signals according to a patient dosing regime.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the host system includes a component adapted to communicate with a remote server for download of control instructions and/or upload of nebulizer data.

10. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the host system includes at least one of a smartphone or tablet computer.

11. A nebulizer, comprising:

a nebulizer head;

a controller having a longitudinal length extending between a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the controller includes a voltage boost circuit, a processor, and a drive circuit; and

a bus;

wherein the controller is coupled to the head via a head cable extending from the first end of the controller, and wherein the controller is coupled to the bus via a bus cable extending from the second end of the controller, wherein the head cable, controller, and bus cable form an in-line arrangement; and

wherein the bus is a universal bus and the controller is interchangeably coupleable to a plurality of host systems of varying configurations and/or functions via the bus;

wherein the controller is configured to receive one or more of the following signals from at least one of the plurality of host systems via the universal bus and to use the one or more signals to generate nebulizer head drive signals;

a nebulization start/stop signal,

a nebulization time signal,

a nebulization flow rate signal,

a nebulization pulse rate signal, and

an inspiratory/expiratory signal to enable phased nebulization; and

wherein the processor is configured to upload to the at least one of the plurality of host systems via the universal bus the following nebulizer characteristic information previously captured from the nebulizer head;

a wet/dry state of the nebulizer head,

a nebulizer disconnect status,

a cable disconnect status,

an error or fault status, and

a nebulization duration and time of nebulization.

12. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 11, further including a head plug coupled to the head cable.

13. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 12, wherein the head is selectively coupleable and uncoupleable from the controller via the head plug.

14. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 12, wherein the head plug is received within a head port on the head.

15. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 11, further including a bus plug coupled to the bus cable.

16. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one of the plurality of host systems includes at least one of a smartphone or tablet computer.

17. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 11, wherein the controller includes an ON/OFF button and a plurality of LED status lamps.